Episode 226: Juwan Rice

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) -- Juwan Rice is a chef. But his resume holds a lot of titles: Entrepreneur, food stylist, consultant, project manager and now a restaurant owner. Oh, and by the way, he’s just 21 years old.

The young entrepreneur started early; at just 14, he started his own catering company, JR Gourmet. It started with friends and family but quickly grew, and he hasn’t stopped working since then. He worked at Bait, a popular St. Louis restaurant, right out of high school, but the pandemic forced him to pivot, and he launched several new endeavors…all of which have led him to this point, on the cusp of opening his first restaurant in Downtown St. Louis.

Rated Test Kitchen is set to open this spring on 11th street. The concept is unique; a reservations-only sever course dinner experience where he’ll ask guests to contribute feedback right then and there, allowing them to tweak and improve every day and every meal. At 21 years old, he’s faced his fair share of doubt and criticism, but he does it all with a smile and believes it makes him a stronger chef and person.

To learn more about his restaurant, catering company and spice company, check out his website: juwanrice.com/our-story

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